Streetsblog.net
Remembering When Our Streets Belonged to Everyone
Just a few generations ago, streets were places of commerce and play, places to socialize, places where public life happened. The author of the Chicago-based Get Around Blog just finished reading Peter Norton's book, Fighting Traffic, which outlines in fascinating-yet-depressing detail how the rise of the automobile rudely interrupted this whole way of life.
October 24, 2012
Amtrak Hits a Train Speed Milestone in the Midwest
About three and a half years after President Obama made an $8 billion push for high-speed rail in the stimulus bill, the states that put the funding to good use are starting to see results. Trains are now traveling at speeds greater than 100 miles per hour in the Midwest. That's progress.
October 23, 2012
Atlanta Picking Up the Tab for New Stadium as Transit Funding Stagnates
Greater Atlanta, in voting down a transit-focused package of transportation improvements this summer, demonstrated its inability to act regionally to address major quality-of-life problems.
October 22, 2012
Virginia DOT Using Flawed Data to Justify Charlottesville Bypass
Much of the time, what drives transportation investments in America isn't independent studies or cost benefit analyses -- it's politics. The sad truth is, rather than evaluating the strength of a proposal, studies from transportation agencies serve mainly to justify projects that political actors have chosen to pursue.
October 19, 2012
Will This Boost Transit? Maryland Promotes Driving on $2.5 Billion Tollway
The state of Maryland spent $2.5 billion building a new toll road called the Intercounty Connector, but use of the highway hasn't met expectations. Local media have taken to wondering, "Why is the ICC so empty?"
October 18, 2012
A Major Expansion for Charlotte Light Rail
Encouraging news today from North Carolina. Mary Newsom at Network blog Naked City reports that local, state and federal officials signed an agreement yesterday for a 9.3-mile extension of Charlotte's Lynx light rail system.
October 17, 2012
When Did Cities Become Politically Unmentionable?
Want to have a not-very-fun presidential debate watching party tonight? Just make "cities" your drinking-game buzz word. Chances are you'll wake up tomorrow morning feeling fresh as a daisy.
October 16, 2012
Boston’s Over-the-Top “Bike Safety” Campaign
You've probably seen the anti-smoking ads that show a man exhaling through a hole in his windpipe. Not pretty, eh?
October 15, 2012
When Will We See a Department of Transportation and Land Use?
The way we design cities in the U.S. is dysfunctional, and the reasons for that are many. But among the most important is how our public agencies are structured, argues Nathaniel Hood at Strong Towns.
October 12, 2012
The Washington Nationals: Winning at Sustainable Transportation?
Ever wondered how your favorite sports team is doing in the sustainable transportation arena? Many urban stadiums have some transit connections and some bike racks. From there, though, it can be difficult to measure success.
October 11, 2012